Now here’s the miracle of Twitter: I’ve got a column in Tweet Deck searching for any Tweet that includes the word “San Antonio” or the hashtag “#satx.” And about a half hour ago, this tweet pops up at the top of the column:
But there’s no link, and no follow up. The AP doesn’t have anything on it. Neither does ESPN.com or SI.com.
And then, suddenly, a flood of tweets opens up in the column, all about the trade. One’s got a link.
So we’re off. A breaking news update goes on to kens5.com. A competitor — KSAT 12 — follows a few minutes later. (Worth noting: ESPN.com’s headline doesn’t go online until a few minutes after that.) Suddenly, the newsroom’s buzzing, with anchors getting called in and reporters being dispatched to Spur-related sites around the city.
A boss calls asking if we can get a full story on the site soon. Sure, I say. But shouldn’t we confirm the story first?
Twitter: a great tool. But nothing beats original reporting.